*Liam Markham is tackled by Sean Phelan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Cratloe maintained their perfect start to the senior championship when fending off a meek Broadford for the second consecutive season in Cusack Park in Ennis.
*Tony Kelly in action for Ballyea. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill He has been the hero on so many occasions for club and county and Tony Kelly continues to stand out as an outstanding hurler.
*Broadford will be counting on Paddy Donnellan to deliver. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill Broadford manager Jimmy Browne sees the challenge facing him and his backroom team as two fold, to deepen their panel and to get a consistency of performance.
*Diarmuid O’Brien and Cian Dillon contest the dropping ball. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill A dramatic chink of light at the end of a cauldron of tension saw Danny Reddan pop up with a last gasp equalising point as Broadford sent Crusheen crashing into the dreaded relegation group.
Cratloe welcomingly cemented a senior hurling quarter-final spot with a game to spare after maintaining their composure to hold off a relentless Broadford in Shannon on Saturday afternoon.
The ability of Tony Kelly and Niall Deasy to pick off scores when the need is greatest has been a key ingredient in many of Ballyea’s victories in recent years and it was again a key part of the team’s latest victory when they overcame Broadford in the opening round of the Clare SHC.
*Stiofan McMahon will be a chief scoring threat for Broadford. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill In their first season back in the senior ranks, Broadford advanced to a quarter-final stage, paired off with Ballyea, Cratloe and Crusheen the task of returning to the knockout stages is made more difficult this time round.
Former Clare senior selector Jimmy Browne remains in charge of the Broadford senior hurlers for 2021 and he’ll be joined by an All-Ireland winning coach.
Reigning Clare SHC champions Sixmilebridge are the first side to secure their place in the semi-finals of the competition.
New management teams are finding it more difficult to advance in the 2020 Clare SHC and SFC which has been dubbed as “the COVID championship”.
